Why solo workers struggle (and how virtual coworking fixes it)

Plot twist: The biggest threat to your productivity isn't TikTok or Netflix. It's working alone.

Everyone bangs on about the perks of remote work (goodbye, soul-crushing commute!). But there’s a shadow side too: The quiet slog of working alone, day after day, with only your overthinking brain for company.

Ever catch yourself procrastinating on important stuff? Struggling to focus? Feeling like your creativity packed up and left town? You're not broken, you're human. And you're definitely not alone in this.

The hidden cost of going solo

Ready for some numbers that'll make you feel seen? Nearly two-thirds of remote workers feel lonely or isolated because of working from home. And here's the kicker…It's not just uncomfortable. It's tanking your productivity.

Wharton researchers studied 672 employees and found lonely workers get worse performance reviews. Why? Because loneliness creates this brutal cycle where you become less engaged, you withdraw (because, human nature), and then you get left out of important conversations and decisions.

Basically, isolation makes you less effective at work. Who would've thought? (Answer: Most of us who’ve been there.)

But wait, there's more. The Integrated Benefits Institute found that lonely employees don't just perform worse, they're also way more likely to deal with anxiety and depression.

Oh, and they're more likely to quit their jobs entirely. Because why wouldn't you want to escape something that's making you miserable?

How working alone kills your focus

Working alone? Your brain's fighting an uphill battle every damn day. Without other people around, you're running on willpower alone to stay focused. And nobody will tell you, but willpower isn't infinite. It drains throughout the day like your phone battery (usually faster than you'd like).

We talked about this in the first blog in this series. Structure beats willpower, every time. And working alone is basically the structure-free Olympics.

When you’re surrounded by people who are locked in (even virtually) your brain quietly follows their lead. It’s not pressure. It’s momentum. You don’t have to talk or collaborate. Just showing up in a shared space creates a gentle pull toward focus

Think about it… When did you last have a super productive day at a café versus sitting solo at your kitchen table? Exactly.

What coworking spaces got right

Traditional coworking spaces accidentally stumbled onto something genius: community + structure = magic.

Harvard Business Review found that people in coworking spaces scored almost a full point higher on "thriving" scales compared to traditional office workers. Not bad for accidentally figuring out human psychology.

So what's the secret sauce? Coworking spaces give you exactly what you're missing when you're grinding alone:

Community without the corporate BS. You get the energy of working with others without office politics or those meetings that could've been emails.

Structure without someone breathing down your neck. Regular rhythms that help you focus, but you're still working on your own stuff, your own way.

Belonging without having to pretend to be someone else. You get to be part of something while staying true to who you are and what you want to achieve.

A study in Frontiers in Psychology confirmed that coworking spaces create social support networks that actually improve how you feel about your work. Revolutionary, right?

The results speak for themselves. Business.com surveyed 500 coworking professionals and found:

• 46% were more productive after joining a coworking space

• 45% said their mental health improved (not surprising)

• Nearly half saw improvements in their work skills and quality

• One in two saw their income increase

Not too shabby for just changing where you park yourself during the day.

Cool Wow brings all of that to solo business owners with no commute or awkward forced networking, just structured support from people who get it.

Virtual coworking: Same benefits, no pants required

Here's the best part. You don't need to leave your home office (or put on real pants) to get these benefits.

NPR looked into "virtual study/work-with-me" sessions and found they provide the same focus-boosting benefits as in-person body doubling. Dr. Edward Hallowell, who specializes in attention challenges, explains: "Just having another person nearby activates a kind of attention... that is dormant when we're all by ourselves."

Basically, your brain perks up when it knows others are around, even virtually.

Why it works online too:

Gentle accountability. When you know others can see you working or will check in, you're way less likely to fall down that Instagram rabbit hole (we've all been there).

Shared energy. Working alongside others—even through a screen—creates this collective momentum. You feed off each other's focus and determination.

Structure without rigidity. The best virtual coworking sessions have clear starts, stops, check-ins and breaks. It's like having a framework that holds your attention without you having to rely on discipline alone.

Real connection. Psychology Today research shows that working with others online still gives you that social connection and collaborative energy that fights isolation and boosts both productivity and mood.

A 2024 study from ACM surveyed 220 people and found something interesting: participants had been using body doubling techniques for years without even knowing what it was called. They instinctively used the presence of others to generate momentum and stay focused on challenging tasks.

Turns out, we've all been craving this connection. We just didn't know there was a name for it.

The solution is right here

We’ve already talked about how structure helps and why body doubling works. This? It’s where it all comes together.

If you've been struggling with focus, motivation or that nagging feeling of working in a vacuum, you're definitely not broken. You're just fighting against basic human psychology. We evolved to work alongside others, not in isolation.

Virtual coworking sessions let you have your cake and eat it too. You get to work on your own projects, in your own space, on your own schedule. But you also get the gentle accountability, shared energy and structured support that makes the difference between struggling through your to-do list and actually getting meaningful work done.

You don't have to figure it out alone anymore. Come work alongside us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rach runs Cool Wow Collective, a community for solo business owners who want focus, structure and connection without the hustle. She’s also the founder of Assembld, a content and copywriting studio working with tourism and events brands across regional Australia.